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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29789364">Trust</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowoftheLamp/pseuds/ShadowoftheLamp'>ShadowoftheLamp</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sonic Underground, Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, episode-related</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:15:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29789364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowoftheLamp/pseuds/ShadowoftheLamp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Manic talks to Sonia after Mobodoon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Trust</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally posted October 2014. Another one I still liked and wanted to put up here. Related specifically to episode three.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Manic?” Sonia rubbed her eyes, sliding her sleeping mask up onto her forehead. Sonic was still snoring above her, but Manic wasn’t shifting around uneasily like he usually did- in fact, she could hear someone drumming on the steering wheel a few feet away. </p><p>“Go back to sleep.” Manic was… quiet. She hadn’t expected that. Sliding carefully off her hammock, the girl walked over to her brother, settling down into the seat next to him.</p><p>“Why are you up?”</p><p>“Just… thinking.” Before she even opened her mouth, he held up a hand. “Surprise, surprise, I can do that sometimes.”</p><p>“About Mobodoon?” she asked, fiddling with the belt that cinched her waist. She’d noticed it was getting looser lately, but the sentimental value was too great to get rid of it. Manic sighed.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Manic, I know you really liked it there, but we really would have missed you.” He leaned forward, settling his elbows on the console. For the first time, she noticed the deep bags under his eyes.</p><p>“Yeah." There was a pause, and the next words came a little more hesitant. "I know.” He stayed quiet for a moment. He was always like that- when he wasn’t making fast quips or annoying her, he was fading into the background, pretending to not exist. She didn’t know how he did it, being so loud and joking with Sonic one instant and pulling away into himself the next. “I’m just… nah, you don’t wanna hear it.” As his head turned to look out the window, Sonia set a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“Manic, you can tell me.”</p><p>“It’s just… you still don’t trust me, is all.” It was like a slap to the face.</p><p>“What are you talking about, of course I-”</p><p>“<em>‘How do we know he’s not just going to sell them at some pawn shop?</em>’” Manic quoted flatly, before shifting away. Pointing your quills at another hedgehog was an insult, but the sinking feeling in her gut told her now wasn’t the proper time to lecture him about it. “I know, I’m not perfect like you think you are, but I’m trying, all right? Is it too much to ask you do too? I’ve been thrown in jail by people <em>like</em> you more than once, but I’m trying not to…” He sighed. “Forget it.”</p><p>“No, Manic I… I didn’t realize this was…” Sonia rarely tripped on her words. Everything she thought, she said, because how else would people know what she wanted? She’d never thought that just spitting out everything she thought would really hurt anyone. Sonic always said what he thought like she did, but he usually joked and poked fun at everything. Manic… well, Manic was a little more careful. Strange, she’d always thought herself the more contemplative one, but he was the one who thought before speaking. “Wait, you’ve been in jail?”</p><p>“A few times.” He spoke shortly, far removed from the light teasing tone he usually used with her. “Mostly when I was younger, and wasn’t good at picking fast.” His shoulders slumped. “The last time… that was when they started roboticizing the prisoners.” She gasped, hand flying up to her mouth. “I was at the end of the line. They…” He shivered, and she wasn’t sure if reaching out and setting her hand on his shoulder would help. “I saw all my friends… metal and the awful <em>noise</em>…” His shoulders were shaking, and Sonia scooted forward, hip brushing the seat belt receptacle as she reached for his shoulder. </p><p>“I had no idea.” He turned around, and her eyes widened when she saw his were watering.</p><p>“Just… gimme a break, all right? I only made it 'cause the Freedom Fighters shorted that one out or something.” She yanked him forward and he let out a little yelp when she crushed him into a hug. Her stomach felt like cyanide when his almost skeletal frame pressed tightly against hers, and she buried her face in his shoulder. Awkwardly patting her, Manic made a little gasping noise. “Sis… kinda tight…” She let go, blushing, before brushing his chest down. </p><p>“Sorry…”</p><p>He smiled, and for the first time she’d seen, it really looked genuine.</p><p>“It’s fine.” Neither of them spoke, the wind and Sonic’s snoring the only noises in the van for a moment, before he stuck a hand in his forehead quills and rustled them. She realized he was nervous. “…Thanks, sis.”</p><p>She smiled back. “You’re welcome… bro.”</p>
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